Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the category “Campsites”

03 Aug 2014
10 Comments

Enter the Wagon

Yesterday evening I pulled into Stromsburg, Nebraska after 7-1/2 hours of driving, twice my self-alotted amount. That’s because after a hot, moist evening at the Iowa I-80 “World’s Largest” Truck Stop, I knew it’d be the same deal at a highway rest stop near Casey, Iowa the next night. On the face of it, I-80 Truck Stop is fab. They’ve got roomy pull-throughs to get automotive diesel, a decent sit-down restaurant and a fast food place, all the truck-related geegaws you could ever hope to see, convenience store, clothing counter, electronics counter…heck, they’ve even got a selection of raccoon hats just like Disney’s Dan’l Boone wore in the 1950s TV series! And the separate pull-through RV area away from the trucks is fairly rare to find at a truck stop.

But as an RV overnight spot, it’s still an all-night-noise truck stop. The RV slots are so narrow that 8-1/2 foot wide rigs like mine just skin through, an especially difficult task because the curved approach is often choked with overflow vehicles. Many RV drivers can’t cope with it, and wind up cutting down the limited number of spaces. At best, it’s a bad idea to leave folding doorsteps down or incautiously open doors.

I knew it would again be a hot day, and began early in the next day’s drive to think about Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Tourista!, Travelin' Man and tagged , , , ,
22 Jul 2014
6 Comments

Another For Sale

An old Ford in front of one of the many antique shops in Sandwich, Illinois.

An old Ford in front of one of the many antique shops in Sandwich, Illinois.

Busy, busy, busy. Ten items on my To-Do/Errands list today, and writing this post isn’t one of them. But here it is. It’s here because I used to cover vintage vehicle events of various kinds for a good couple of years (full-time), and almost got it out of my system.

Northern Illinois is a virtual hotbed of vintage motordom. The vintage cars per square mile in the areas surrounding Chicago are unmatched, and there’s some event taking place somewhere five days out of each week every summer. I often had to choose between three major events scheduled for the same day.

So when I come across something like the above old Ford sedan, my knee-jerk response is Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged ,
09 Jul 2014
13 Comments

Defiant Exposed!

New reader Greg just sent me a Google Maps link which shows that the invincible Defiant has been captured in its native habitat in Tusayan, Arizona during a satellite photo session this past Spring. I at first thought it wasn’t, because of too many panels being displayed, but the “extras” are merely shadows of the real ones. But no, it’s my rig, complete with the correct reversed orientation, wrinkled roof, and the Mighty Red Furd with its tonneau bed cover in place. Amazing, huh? I should have been outside nude sunbathing and waving, but too many people driving past would be veering off into the ditch to vomit.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.968187,-112.11822&num=1&t=h&z=20

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, The Defiant and tagged
06 Jul 2014
8 Comments

Two Little Surprises

I didn't do time-elapse shots, just snaps. That's a campground light to the right.

I didn’t do time-elapse shots, just snaps. That’s a campground light to the right.

Camping in Sandwich, Illinois does have its unexpected moments. I’ll describe both of the most recent ones out of order, the first being that people in and around Sandwich are seriously into Independence Day fireworks. The night of Friday the 4th was met with homeowners and surrounding farmers setting off their own ware. That’s not so surprising. What was surprising was the Boom Factor. These people don’t settle for the pathetic, fizzing state-approved sparklers, nor the stacato popping of illegal firecrackers. I heard rounds of those maybe twice all night.

No, these folks go for rounds that sound for all the world like an artillery barrage prior to the Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, Navel Gazing and tagged ,
07 Jun 2014
10 Comments

Saturday in Sandwich

My front yard, freshly mowed - but not by me! This is the daily view out my dining area window.

My front yard, freshly mowed – but not by me! This is the daily view out my dining area window.

I gots a host of errands done yesterday, and didn’t make it as far down today’s list, but the vitals got done, anyway. A little of that consisted of hopping on the Raleigh to take some snaps for this post, and a combination of exploring and food shopping at the local downtown store, Art’s Foodmarket. It’s in the “old downtown” which dates back to the Civil War as far as significant buildings go. Sandwich’s downtown hasn’t suffered from the ongoing coma as much as many others, maybe because it’s just a block from Route 34 that passes through it. 34 is just a two-lane, so the plaza and mini-mall buildup along it is limited. It’s obvious from looking at the businesses that, since 34 ran so close to the railroad tracks in Sandwich, that the original Church Street/34 roadway was simply absorbed into the town early on.

And my back yard. For some reason, I find this restful. ;-)

And my back yard. For some reason, I find this restful. 😉

To be sure, there are more than enough closed signs and empty buildings scattered throughout downtown Sandwich. A few shops are still in the process of closing. It’s a shame of course, especially since many of the empties are assorted sizes of vintage brick buildings dating way back, and yet they are still in exemplary condition. They’re charming. Many small, rural towns have had their downtowns become virtual ghost districts, like Darien, Wisconsin. Many have a decimated air about them. There are newer buildings here along 34 of course, but even there, Sandwich seems to have resisted Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged
29 May 2014
2 Comments

Day Four, Seibert CO

Bunny! Bunny! This was this morning in Walsenburg, Colorado at the truck stop, before I left.

Bunny! Bunny! This was this morning in Walsenburg, Colorado at the truck stop, before I left.

Well, I was supposed to be staying at a wildlife preserve in Flagler Colorado, but it seems that one detail was left out of the site’s description. That would be that the entire parking area has a wicked tilt to it, so I had to give up on it and press on. No amount of boards I had as levelers could compensate.

Well, Bunny didn't mind me getting up to get the camera, and just decided to take it easy for awhile!

Well, Bunny didn’t mind me getting up to get the camera, and just decided to take it easy for awhile!

Just a few miles down the road in Seibert, there was a Conoco travel stop with a huge dirt parking lot for semis to stay overnight. However, there was also a place called Shady Grove RV Park, an improvised overnight place in someone’s large yard that still manages to have hookups for sewer, water and 20/30/50 amp electrical service, TV with a million channels, plus free WiFi that I haven’t been able to log onto successfully, and the nice lady in the office is away for 4-1/2 hours to pick up her husband at an airport, probably Denver. I could use some WiFi to be able to let the iMac update its software, but this day is not going according to plan.

The same snow-capped pair as in earlier shots, but I didn't mention that they were what I always saw right out my dining window, despite the semi-trailer parked next to me!

The same snow-capped pair as in earlier shots, but I didn’t mention that they were what I always saw right out my dining window, despite the semi-trailer parked next to me!

All of today’s drive was on open grazing land that rolled a bit here and there, but the distances you can see in all directions are incredible. 95% of it was on good two-lane county roads, and just the last bit on I-70. Good thing I had topped up on fuel, and also had a pretty reliable rig, because Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Travelin' Man and tagged ,
22 May 2014
11 Comments

Just an Interlude

So, I'm sitting, enjoying an appetizer before dinner while watching a DVD, and discover that the sunset view out the window is more interesting.

So, I’m sitting, enjoying an appetizer before dinner while watching a DVD, and discover that the sunset view out the window is more interesting.

The three days of high winds are over, and without mishap. Might get some significant rains tomorrow, so I’m taking yesterday and today as an interlude between possible weather events. Sunny and 74 outside yesterday, with a manageable breeze. So I scraped myself off, refilled the trailer’s water tank, and headed for the Market Plaza inside the south entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park to access their Post Office and General Store (which includes a grocery store). I skirted the suicidal $25/vehicle to get in by brandishing my free-admittance America the Beautiful Geezer Senior Pass that cost me all of $10 and never expires. I almost got breathy as I went through that gate!

Wow. The paved drive in, the signage, the architecture, and the manicured mix of rustic and polished reminded me of Disney World’s Frontierland. Now I know where Disney got the look. I expected it to be unpleasantly packed, but it was lightly busy, and tons of campground space lies unused. Perhaps this is not yet the heavy season. There’s a whole lot of folks not speaking Engrish, and everyone had a relaxed and pleased look.

My trusty Garmin GPS had the Post Office as its target, and promptly steered me into a residence area for park workers, citing mobile Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, Navel Gazing and tagged ,
20 May 2014
8 Comments

Tusayan, Arizona Campin’

A turn onto NF 302 yielded a view with quite a contrast to my earlier campsites. Look! Actual trees!

A turn onto NF 302 yielded a view with quite a contrast to my earlier campsites. Look! Actual trees!

The town of Tusayan, Arizona borders the southern entrance to the Grand Canyon. Oh boy, the Grand Canyon! Well, not this trip, odd as it sounds. My goal was simply to see what the area is like for travel trailer campers like myself. To get a feel for the place. I have, and if you restrict the discussion to dispersed camping, it’s a mix that is the natural result of heavy commercialization.

The initial drive in with trailer in tow netted a view of three elk about to cross the road at the bend ahead!

The initial drive in with trailer in tow netted a view of three elk about to cross the road at the bend ahead!

On the way up here on 64, I noticed plenty of inviting National Forest roads branching off this way and that. Looking at a Motor Vehicle Usage Map , the Tusayan area is loaded with roads open to dispersed camping. I’m very curious to explore some of them in order to see what camping situations they offer, but I quickly found three impediments to doing that.

I stopped, the Ford's diesel quietly rattling away, and they decided it was better to get across now, before the big red box with the even bigger white box got any closer.

I stopped, the Ford’s diesel quietly rattling away, and they decided it was better to get across now, before the big red box with the even bigger white box got any closer.

Those impediments are first, that the tangled nest of available roads cover miles and miles of range instead of being a tight pack with numerous branches.

Second, the easiest way to explore those roads is Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged , , , ,
17 May 2014
8 Comments

A Room With a View

I prefer not to camp where I need to pull the window shades for privacy. The moonlight is usually nice, too.

I prefer not to camp where I need to pull the window shades for privacy. The moonlight is usually nice, too.

Once I moved to avoid the recent rodent issues, I found a new campsite just half a mile further north on 9711F/Old 89. A pull-through loop adaptable to big rigs, it was atop a low ridge and offered a view of miles in nearly any direction. I knew I was in the right place when I woke up the next morning and saw a coyote in the distance trotting in a line from bush to bush, looking to scare up some breakfast. I’m going to let this post be kind of a photo essay, because there’s more to see than to tell.

This is the kind of place with admirable views, enough to climb out every now and then just to take it all in. This is looking NE from the new campsite.

This is the kind of place with admirable views, enough to climb out every now and then just to take it all in. This is looking NE from the new campsite.

This is looking north near sunset. If you're the kind of person who tends to be anxious, this is the Rx.

This is looking north near sunset. If you’re the kind of person who tends to be anxious, this is the Rx.

Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged
03 May 2014
7 Comments

The Greener Grass Turns Brown

In the exploration for a closer campsite, this was what I expected. I got precious little of it.

In the exploration for a closer campsite, this was what I expected. I got precious little of it.

With every run to Safeway and other stores in Chino Valley, AZ being at least 14 miles each way, I decided to check out two other camping trail possibilities that practically glowed on the Forest Service’s Prescott National Forest Motor Vehicle Usage Map (MVUM), the only valid guide as to what’s legal to camp on and what will get you a citation.

Heading east out of the upper end of Chino Valley is Perkinsville Road, a paved 35 MPH road that quickly turns to somewhat washboarded dirt. It stays paved for awhile because the town’s baseball diamond is located a couple of miles out. After that, it’s meat processing centers, ranches, and a cattle auction place.

My interest was in finding a reasonably workable campsite that would cut some of the fuel cost of getting to town for supplies. Off of Perkinsville Road, NF (National Forest) 638 was indicated as cutting Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged ,

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